Tryon County Committee to New-York Congress

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Tryon County Committee Chamber, September 19, 1775.

HONOURABLE GENTLEMEN: Your favour of the 6th inst˙ we received yesterday, wherein we apprehend that, agreeable to the resolve and directions of the Continental Congress, there is one Major and a Quartermaster, by each of our Regiments, yet wanting, the voting of which we would have performed without delay, if the members of our Committee were not so much distant from one another in their abodes. Therefore, not to delay the expedition of the commissions in general, without which we cannot act much here with authority, we beg that you will please to send us the commissions for those four Majors and Quartermasters blank, which we would afterwards fill up at the next meeting of our whole Board, according to the majority of votes, and shall then make a return thereof to you immediately. But in case this our request would be disagreeable, and you could not consent to it, the subscribed Chairman, with eight Members of our Committee, made a choice of such officers, according to their abilities, and enclose hereby the nomination of them, not doubting that those so nominated might get the majority of votes at the whole Board. We recommend them to you, and expect the commissions for our militia officers will be despatched as soon as possible, not knowing how soon we shall be in want thereof for the defence of our American cause, in our exposed frontiers, and besides mixed with a great number of Tories, ready with arms against us: we mean the enemies in Kingsborough. In regard to our resolve in civil matters, we have not as yet transacted any thing, and shall also, agreeable to your order, repeal the same at our Board. We are urged to remember again the utmost want of ammunition, and in particular of powder. We applied lately, therefore, to the Albany Committee for some assistance, but got a refusal.

We remain, with much esteem, honourable Gentlemen, your obedient humble servants. By order:

NICHOLAS HERCKHEIMER, Chairman.

To John Haring, Esquire, Chairman of the Committee of Safety of New-York.

P˙ S. We also annex a return of the Field-Officers of our Minute-Men, amounting to one Battalion in our County, although the enlisted men have not as yet, in full, performed their choices for the Captains, Lieutenants, and Ensigns of their respective Companies; the return of which officers we will send to you immediately after performance.

Return of four Majors and Quartermasters for the four Battalions in the County of TRYON, and also of the

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MOHAWK DISTRICT: Major, John Newkirk; Quartermaster, Abraham Van Horn.

PALATINE DISTRICT: Major, Henry Merekill, Jr˙; Quartermaster, Jacob Ekert

CANAJOHARIE DISTRICT: Major, William Seeber; Quartermaster. John Pickard.

KINGSLAND and GERMAN FLATS: Major, John Eisenlor; Quartermaster, Rudolph D˙ Staley.

Field-Officers of the Battalion of Minute-Men.

Colonel, Geo˙ Herchkeimer; Lieutenant-Colonel, Samuel Campbell; Majors, John Fonda and Jacob J˙ Clock; Adjutant, Samuel Gray; Quartermaster, John Franck.

By order:

NICHO˙ HEHCKHEIMER, Chairman.